The first day of our adventure began quite early. We set out to explore a very picturesque and tidal-dependent river called Agujitas. The river is named for the abundant needlefishes that call it home. Aguja is the Spanish word for needle. We saw various shorebirds, a two-toed sloth, iguanas, and basilisks, or Jesus Christ lizards. Right after lunch, we repositioned our vessel and took various hikes and walks along Caletas Beach. Long walks, forest treks, and nature walks gave us the chance to explore the area and take great photographs.
3/17/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Isla Coco Islet and Coiba, Panama
Coco Islet was our morning destination. This jewel of an island is quite small and surrounded by clear seas rich in marine life. Cocos is a wonderful place for snorkeling from a white sandy beach. About a dozen species of corals were seen, along with surgeonfish, sergeant majors, puffers, king angels and Moorish idols. One of the highlights were the whitetip reef sharks which we saw in deeper waters. National Geographic Quest repositioned a short distance to Isla Coiba. This nature preserve is bigger than some small island countries in the Caribbean. Here we had the opportunity to practice some more water activities, and to take a short walk across the island. The highlight for some was kayaking and stand up paddleboarding. The clear water right next to the tropical rain forest is an incredibly beautiful setting for paddling around. Once we were underway, we had multiple groups of pantropical spotted dolphins who came along to bow ride and playfully swim alongside our vessel.
